The Gemstone Alchemist
by MistressofSeven77
Summary: To enforce justice. That is her mission, her purpose. Her name is Saphira Hawthorne, the Gemstone Alchemist. But as she travels and fights for her purpose, she soon learns that enforcing justice is never easy, and can't avoid dancing around in the dark. Unexpected friends, enemies, and truths... What does the future hold for this young girl?
1. Chapter 1: The One Who Hides In Darkness

Chapter 1: The One Who Hides in Darkness

A shadow darted down an alleyway. Two soldiers cocked their guns at the shadow, blocking the darkened alleyway.

"Stop! If you don't, we'll-what?!"

Two hands came out as the shadow continued forward. Iridescent lightning arced across the hands, and they grabbed the guns. The soldiers quickly discovered that, suddenly, their guns didn't work. In an instant, one soldier was kicked in the gut, falling backwards and dropping his useless weapon. The shadow spun around, and with a powerful backhand strike, took down the other soldier with ease. She turned around, glaring at them with cold, sapphire blue eyes through a mask.

"You idiots know nothing about me. You don't understand the truth, and you never will. You're just young, naive soldiers, after all."

She picked them up by their collars.

"W-What are you going to do to us?!" One of them stuttered.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you. I'm simply going to allow you to rest. You tried your best, but like all of the others, you failed. I'm sure your friends in the military will find you soon enough. In the meantime… sleep!" She said, ramming their heads together and knocking them unconscious. Once that job was done, she dropped them to the ground, and cracked her hands. Iridescent lightning arced across her hands again, and she put them to the ground, trapping them with blue restraints that tied them to the ground. She turned and began walking, and took one last look at them.

"They're all the same, whether they're State Alchemists or regular soldiers. Blinded by labels and stupid stereotypes. As long as that continues, they'll never be able to capture me."

She turned back away from the two soldiers she'd just soundly defeated.

"I wonder who they'll send after me next…" She wondered, walking away.

* * *

"A female thief that can use alchemy… She refuses to kill unless absolutely necessary?"

Four people sat in the Colonel's office. They were famous throughout Amestris-Roy Mustang, the famous Flame Alchemist, Riza Hawkeye, his bodyguard master marksman, and the renowned Elric brothers. Edward held the copy of the report given to him in one hand, leaning back casually, while his brother was taking it more seriously. The younger Elric had been the one to ask the question.

"That's right. Every single soldier and State Alchemist that's attempted to capture her has reported her refusal to kill. She prefers to simply knock them unconscious and trap them, binding their limbs with transmuted bands. We don't know her name, what motivates her, or anything of that sort. All we know is she's skilled and evaded capture for far too long now." Roy confirmed. He stood up, and walked towards the window.

"The Lieutenant and I decided enough is enough. We're taking matters into our own hands. This wild goose chase ends now." He said firmly. The two brothers looked at the Flame Alchemist.

"It's why I called you two in. You're two of the most skilled alchemists I've ever met. My flames, Riza's shooting skills, and your combined alchemy may finally be what defeats this godforsaken thief." He continued.

"You know that I won't kill her." Ed pointed out.

"I don't care _what_ you do, just as long as we get her." Roy replied.

"You two prepare yourself. We're heading out tonight to her last known location-Dublith. We have to hurry-she moves quickly." He added. The two brothers nodded, and headed out, always ready. As they sat on the train, Alphonse couldn't help but notice Edward's expression of deep thought, leaning against the window.

"Brother… Are you thinking…" He trailed.

"Yeah…" Ed confirmed.

"Then what should we do? If it's who we think it is, normal tactics won't work…" Alphonse asked. Ed's expression became more focused. He looked at Al.

"I have an idea. I don't know if it'll work, but it's all we have at this point."


	2. Chapter 2: Flames, Crystals, And Metal

Chapter 2: Flames, Crystals, and Metal (Part 1)

The four had set out. Nighttime was high in Dublith. They knew she would likely be out and about, raiding a shop of some kind. Determination burned in their eyes like Roy's flames.

"Let's split up. She could be anywhere-there's plenty of shops that would be prime targets for her." Roy ordered.

"Understood!" Ed exclaimed, splitting off with Al.

"Lieutenant, go on ahead." Roy said. She turned to look at him.

"The sky's perfectly clear. We need to be able to cover as much ground as possible as quickly as possible. I'll be fine." He insisted.

"Fine. Just be careful, Colonel." She said, relenting. He smirked playfully.

"Aren't I always?" He asked teasingly, as they split up.

Roy walked down the street, where many shops were closed for the night. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement inside one of the food shops. He turned sharply, and readied his fingers in the snapping position.

"Stop right there! Come out with your hands up!" He ordered loudly. The figure inside turned sharply, and bolted outside, easily speeding past him.

"Figures she doesn't listen…" He trailed. He snapped his fingers, and a burst of flame surged forth. She danced around his flames, but he snapped again. She cracked her hand and slammed it into the ground. A series of sharp crystal spikes shot out of the ground in front of Roy, forcing him to jump back. Nonetheless, he continued with his relentless snapping, driving her into the alleyways.

"I've had enough of this game, Flame Alchemist! Leave me alone, you damn egotist!" She yelled, slamming her hands into the ground. She timed the transmutation with a surge of flame, creating a crystal wall. The flames were blocked by the barrier, and by the time they faded, she was gone. Roy cursed under his breath.

"Damnit, she's smart, I'll give her that…" He admitted.

As she ran, she also cursed under her breath.

"Damn him… That was too close! I can see why he's so famous…"

She stopped for a moment by a corner.

"At least he didn't actually burn me, and my cloak and mask are intact… but if he's here, then there's no doubt-"

 _BANG! BANG!_

She sighed, dodging two bullets sent her way.

"Right on cue." She muttered, turning to see Riza with two guns cocked at her. Without hesitation, the woman began firing. Her target dodged some with incredible acrobatic moves, while using alchemy to deflect others.

"I see you're as merciless as ever, Lieutenant Hawkeye. And I didn't even lay a hand on Colonel Mustang. You really do have an incredible sense of duty." The hooded woman said.

"You're a wanted criminal, and you've evaded capture long enough! This ends now!" Riza exclaimed. The hooded figure simply huffed.

"Very well. You are welcome to try, but you will fail just like the others! Come!" She exclaimed. Riza immediately began firing a stream of bullets. However, the mystery thief was quite light on her feet, dancing through the storm. She cracked her wrist, and slashed her hand across the road, turning parts of the road into crystalline shards. She sent them flying at Riza, and the sharpshooter was forced to use the last of the clips in her guns to shoot down the shards. She reloaded as fast as possible, but when she looked up... she'd lost the mystery thief. She cursed, seeing Roy coming up behind her.

"Did you find her?" He asked.

"I had her, but she's smart. She took advantage of a need to reload to escape." Riza replied.

"We'll have to hope Fullmetal can corner her. Let's go!" Roy exclaimed. Riza nodded, and the pair took off.

Elsewhere, the thief stopped in an alleyway some distance from where she had engaged Riza. She looked around a few times, and exhaled.

"I can't deny those two are good at what they do. But they're still soldiers. They know nothing, just like the others." She mused. She looked towards the sky.

"I should leave quickly-"

She was cut off by the sight of a spear coming down from the sky. Her eyes glowed for a moment, and with a swift slash of her hand to the side, diverted the spear to the side, where it embedded in the ground. She looked at it, and saw traces of blue lightning arcing across it.

"Alchemy…" She muttered.

"So, you're the thief that everyone's been talking about…"

She looked up, and narrowed her gaze when she saw a young man with golden eyes and golden hair walk down the alleyway.

"So what if I was? What does it mean to you?" She asked.

"It means I'm going to kick your ass and drag you off to prison!"

He clapped his hands together, causing blue lightning to arc across his hands. He grabbed the spear and pulled it out of the ground, transforming it into a spiked battering ram. Her eyes widened.

"No transmutation circle?! How in the world-"

"Take this!"

She backflipped when he swung at her, but soon came face-to-face with a young boy behind her. She swung her leg and kicked him back, before grabbing a crystal shard and attacking the one in front. She noticed the lack of a squishing sound, which made her focus on his arm. She dragged the shard down, cutting the fabric of his cloak.

"Gaah!"

"Brother!"

She stood up.

"A gift with alchemy so great that he doesn't need transmutation circles, and automail for his right arm..."

She focused on him as he whipped off the now-useless coat.

"The legendary hero… the Fullmetal Alchemist!"


	3. Chapter 3: Flames, Crystals, And Metal

Chapter 3: Flames, Crystals, and Metal (Part 2)

She then raised an eyebrow.

"Wait a minute… he's the Fullmetal Alchemist?" She questioned, pointing at Edward.

"Yea… I'm his younger brother, Alphonse." Alphonse said. She hung her head.

"What's _full_ about _him?_ He's a small child!" She asked. Edward immediately got a tic.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A SMALL CHILD YOU BITCHY LOWLIFE THIEF-" He began before a spear was sent his way. He turned, and saw her sapphire blue eyes glaring at him through the mask she wore. His own eyes widened.

" _Bitchy? Lowlife?_ Even a _child_...!" She trailed angrily. The brothers looked at her.

"You don't know anything about me… You soldiers…. You're all the same… All you see is a thief…" She said quietly. Ed could hear a bit of trembling in her voice.

"Don't think that you know the meaning of despair simply because you're a dog of the military, _boy!_ " She snarled, throwing her hand out to the side. Ed narrowed his eyes and glared at her.

"You're the one who doesn't know a damn thing!" He snapped.

The two stood there for a moment, glaring at each other. She cracked her wrists into the position, and slammed her hands into the ground. She then stood up, and caught two spears that she transmuted out of the sides of the alleyway, one in each hand.

"Words mean nothing if you can only speak them! Prove yourself, Fullmetal Alchemist! Come!" She demanded, in a fighting stance. Simultaneously, both Alphonse and Edward charged her, but she spun them both off with her spears. Alphonse landed closer, and began swinging at her.

An attempt to strike her from the right resulting in her ducking down. An attempt to strike her from the front led to a block with a spear, however, Alphonse was able to knock it out of her hand. He attempted to kick her, but she leaned back a bit, dodging it. She then grabbed Alphonse by his arm, threw Alphonse into the wall hard, and then drove the spear into his right palm. However, she was startled by the lack of a squishing sound, and the lack of a cry of agony from Alphonse. She looked towards Alphonse for a second, and their eyes locked. Both of their eyes widened for a moment.

"You're-!"

She quickly silenced him with a strike to the head, hearing the echo. Her breath caught in throat.

"So, you've changed this much... you're a soul bound to a suit of armor... you've both suffered... was it the Civil War?"

Alphonse looked down.

"Why? What are you-!"

She cracked her hand, and bound his other wrist.

"You're far too young to be on the battlefield, Alphonse..." She said quietly as she finished binding Al to the wall behind him.

"AL! YOU BITCH!" Edward yelled, coming in as fast as he could. She dodged his attempt to stab her with a spear, and when he swung again, she simply ducked. She cracked her hand, and grabbed his spear, using alchemy to shatter half of it into crystalline shards. He stumbled through the shards, skidding a bit. He scowled at her, but then, his expression became one of thought.

"Crystals...? It can't be-!"

He had no time to contemplate his words properly, as she came charging towards him. He clapped his hands together, and slammed them to the ground, transmuting the road into a fist which drove her back. She went into a back handspring, before recovering. She then cracked her hands, iridescent lightning arcing across them, before slamming them to the wall, sending small diamond-shaped sapphires at Ed. He clapped his hands together, and quickly made a wall from the road to block them. An explosion of sorts resulted from the impact.

 _She's even better than I imagined. At this rate, we'll end up tearing apart Dublith before a winner is decided. Guess I'll have to try to keep it simple if I don't wanna hear Colonel Bastard's whining._ Ed thought, looking towards his target. When the smoke faded, he noticed she'd given up on the mini-missile assault. She cracked her hands and transmuted a new spear. Ed, in turn, clapped and made one for himself. They charged at each other, diamond clashing with superhard steel. Sparks flew as they pressed their spears against one another, before leaping apart. The two alchemists narrowed their gazes at one another, before leaping at each other again.

When their spears clashed, once again, sparks flew. However, instead of pressing against each other for a long time, they exchanged blows again and again, dancing around each other. It was as if the rest of the world didn't exist. It was now beyond the point of a soldier and a thief. It was two warriors, fighting with all they had for their own reasons.

After many more minutes of fighting, Ed had driven her into the open, close to the light of a street lamp, but not close enough to get her truly into it. They were no less serious, but both of their spears were quite damaged by now. They were both panting.

"I see the stories are true. You really are gifted. I can see why they finally asked you to come after me. To think that such a young child would possess such talent… You were taught well." The thief admitted, before resuming the fight. She charged him, and he blocked her diamond spear with his superhard steel one. She backflipped off of him, dangerously close to the light of the street lamp. Ed smirked.

"Enough is enough! It's time to see who you really are!" He exclaimed, tossing his spear up. He clapped his hands together, and grabbed her mask, using alchemy to break it. She backflipped and skidded backwards a bit, grabbing her face with her hand instinctively. The attack finally drove her into the light of the street lamp.

"Damnit..." She cursed under her breath.

"You... I knew I recognized that alchemy from somewhere!" He exclaimed. The thief stood up, letting her hand fall to her side. Sapphire blue eyes met golden ones.

"I should've realized it was pointless to try to hiding my identity from you, Ed... You know me too well. Or rather, you know my _alchemy_ too well."

The thief unfastened the clasp that held her cloak around her neck. She let it fall to the ground, revealing long, wild, dirty sapphire blue hair, deathly-pale skin, and traces of dried blood around her mouth.

"Clearly, it's been too long since we last met… Saphira!"


	4. Chapter 4: Despair Of Truth

Chapter 4: Despair Of Truth

"You know her, Fullmetal?!" Roy demanded, having arrived with Riza only moments before Ed had destroyed her mask.

"Yeah, I know her. We used to play together a lot when we were younger, back when Al and I were training our alchemy under our Teacher." Ed explained.

"Those were good times. You two were my first real friends… and the only people that cared about me that were around my age." Saphira added.

"Around your age? What do you mean?" Riza asked. Saphira chuckled dryly.

"I never had a sister or a brother, and as you can imagine, my own mentor, who took me in, was a bit older than me. It was nice in the beginning…"

Blood caught in her throat, and she coughed it up.

"But that doesn't justify stealing things from other people! Why didn't you come back and ask for help?!"

An awkward silence tore through the air.

"Answer me, dammit!" Ed demanded. A tear escaped Saphira's eyes.

"By the time I recovered from that… And I realized that my Teacher was dead… You had disappeared from Dublith… I couldn't face Miss Curtis again… Not when it was my fault…"

"And who are you to be the judge of that, huh?!"

Saphira, Edward, and Alphonse's breath hitched. The voice was all too familiar to the three of them. Saphira turned her head a bit, seeing a familiar woman out of the corner of her eye.

"But how-!"

"It was Al's idea, apparently."

Saphira turned to look at the suit of armor. She then looked away.

"They figured out your identity when they looked at the pictures taken from the scenes. When they realized who you were, they also realized that typical military tactics weren't going to work on you. In order to capture you, they would have to convince you to surrender. And the only way to pull that off was to get through to you. So, Ed and Al took it upon themselves to get you in front of my shop so you'd finally listen to reason." Izumi explained, arms folded. Saphira's expression became dark.

"It's not that simple… I've pissed off too many people to just simply surrender. They'd come after you just to finish whatever score they had with me…"

The golden-eyed boys and the housewife both looked at her with a degree of sadness and understanding. A tear slid down her face. The spear abandoned, she charged at Ed. The young boy instinctively punched her away, something he instantly regretted. She landed hard on her back, coughing up more blood. Even after the impact had settled, she sputtered blood onto the road. The brothers and housewife ran to her side.

"What in the world happened to you, Saphira?" Izumi asked, shocked, cradling the girl.

"Who knows… I guess taking on two State Alchemists, one of their bodyguards, and two other gifted alchemists was just too much…" She rasped, sputtering more blood and passing out. It was when they looked closer that they saw just how pale her skin was, and then it all made sense then and there.

The sputtering blood, the horrible condition of her hair and clothing, the fact she avoided fighting and tried to end fights quickly… she was ill, and horribly so. And because she had practically no money (if her thievery was anything to go by), she had no means to afford proper treatment. Roy clenched his fist.

"Damnit, why does this always happen?!"

Riza turned to look at him.

"Children suffering right under the military's nose, and they do nothing to stop it! The countless orphans from all of the wars were only handled when the people made enough fuss, but children like her slip through the cracks because no one sees them until-"

"It isn't too late for her, Colonel." Riza cut off. Roy looked at her, confused.

"She can be nursed back to health, and I'm sure that now she knows her friends are alive and willing to help, she'll turn around." She said, smiling.

"She'll need a job…" Roy trailed. The unspoken added meaning was put across to the Elric brothers and the housewife. Izumi narrowed her gaze at Roy.

"She's not my student, so I can't tell her no. Her teacher is gone. One of her friends is a dog of the military, right under you, and the other follows him as an unofficial helper. But let me promise you something, Colonel Mustang."

She passed the unconscious Saphira into Alphonse's arms, before storming up to Roy and locking eyes with him.

"If you let them turn her into a weapon of mass murder and destruction… if you let them hurt her… if you let her suffer in any way when you can do something to stop it… You will _sincerely_ regret it." She vowed. The two stood there, eyes locked in stares. Roy let a smile cross his face.

"Don't worry. I'll see to it that she's put under my command. Besides, I'm sure Fullmetal would beat me senseless if I let something happen to her." He assured, nodding towards Riza. She nodded in turn, understanding what needed to be done. Words weren't needed.

"Now, let's get her to the nearest hospital before it's too late." Roy said.

* * *

Ed wasn't severely wounded, and it wasn't hard for the doctors to conclude that the suit of armor had protected Alphonse, so both were handled quickly. The Flame Alchemist and his bodyguard weren't even scratched, so a quick checkup verified all was well. Izumi had gone home, her vow on Roy's mind still. Unsurprisingly, Saphira was a much more complicated case.

She was severely malnourished. Evidently, though she was good at stealing, she must've not been able to get enough to properly nourish her body. Countless scars marred her body, suspected to be from fights during her earlier days on the street. The doctor had explained that her coughing up blood and paleness was just the tip of the iceberg, and only a slight manifestation of years of malnourishment, repeated trauma to her chest area, and many cases of minor colds that were somewhat treated, but had finally come to a head as a case of bad pneumonia-there was even traces of fluid in her lungs. The fact she hadn't bathed all that often had also compromised her body's ability to heal itself.

"So, she's that sick, huh?" Alphonse said quietly. The doctor nodded.

"In all honesty, I'm surprised she isn't _dead_. All of this should've killed her a while ago, in her state. You've got quite a tough young lady on your hands, Colonel Mustang." He said.

"Can you save her?" Roy asked.

"Yes, but it will take a long time. We have to clean her up and get her body back to full strength, and then begin to treat the disease itself. It's not impossible, but it's going to be quite time-consuming and expensive." The doctor explained.

"I don't care. We'll make it work, since she's a prime candidate for being a State Alchemist." Roy said, keeping his tone neutral, but the doctor understood Roy's more emotional and personal motivations.

"Once she's conscious and out of the woods, she'll be able to have visitors. Now, if you'll excuse me, Colonel Mustang, my team and I have our work cut out for us."

Roy nodded, and the doctor left. He let out an exasperated sigh and leaned back.

"Do you think she'll come?" Riza asked.

"I think she will. More than likely, it'll be to atone for her sins and be with her friends than anything else. If there's one thing that's clear about her, she's as stubborn as Fullmetal is." Roy said confidently. Ed chuckled.

"She's complicated is what she is, Colonel." He said.


	5. Chapter 5: From Shy To Stubborn

Chapter 5: From Shy To Stubborn

"She's complicated? What makes you say that, Fullmetal?" Roy questioned.

"Because when Al and I first met her, she was as shy as a wallflower." Ed began. He turned to look at Al.

"Do you remember when we first met her, Al?"

Al looked down, and thought.

"Oh, yea! I remember! She was so scared and shy!" Al exclaimed, nodding vigorously.

"She was so scared of other people when we first met her…" Ed trailed, leaning back as an old memory played.

* * *

" _Excuse me, I'm here to pick up my order."_

 _A woman who was in her early thirties, wearing a sapphire blue shirt and onyx black pants, who had black hair and dark brown eyes walked into the Curtis' meat shop. She was smiling as she walked to the counter. Teacher walked up, bag of meat in hand._

" _Of course, Justice-who's that?" The housewife asked, noticing a smaller figure by Miss Hawthorne's side. Miss Hawthorne looked down and smiled at the girl._

" _This is Saphira, my apprentice." She summarized._

" _You took on an apprentice? I thought ever since you recovered your research, you swore to never take on an apprentice!"_

 _Miss Hawthorne ruffled the young girl's sapphire blue hair a bit, through the hoodie she wore._

" _Well, it's not like I had a choice…"_

 _Teacher couldn't help but notice that the young girl held onto Miss Hawthorne's arm with a death grip. Upon closer investigation, she could see parts of transmutation arrays tattooed onto the girl's arms, despite the long sleeves of the dark blue jacket she wore. She was also wearing black pants and black flip-flops._

" _Teacher, we're finished!"_

 _Al and I came running into the shop. Miss Hawthorne smiled._

" _I see the Elric brothers are doing well!" She said._

" _Hi, Miss Hawthorne!" Al greeted._

" _They really are. They're fast learners." Teacher confirmed. Miss Hawthorne looked down to the young, shy Saphira at her side again._

" _Saphira, why don't you go play with the Elric brothers?" She proposed._

" _...But they'll make fun of me…" Saphira muttered._

" _No they won't, or else they'll have to answer to me! Right, boys?!" Teacher exclaimed, cracking her knuckles. We jumped back._

" _O-Of course! We'll be nice to her!" We replied in tandem. With a bit of encouragement from Miss Hawthorne, she walked forward, holding her hands together and looking down nervously._

" _M-My name is Saphira Hawthorne. I-It's nice t-to meet you." She stuttered, fidgeting._

" _I'm Edward, and this is my younger brother, Alphonse!" I said, introducing the two of us cheerfully._

" _It's nice to meet you, Saphira-san!" Al greeted. We were both smiling._

" _I-I guess…"_

 _We looked at each other, frowning. It was obvious Saphira was really scared._

" _Well, now that we know each other, let's go have some fun!" I said, breaking the awkward tension. I grabbed Saphira's hand, and led her along._

" _W-Wait, where are you taking me?!" She asked, confused. We led her out the back. We were still smiling._

" _So, what do you want to play, Saphira?" I asked._

" _I… I don't know. I don't really play anything." She replied._

" _You don't play?" Al questioned._

" _No… I just study and practice." She replied. We looked at each other, frowning again. Getting her to open up was going to be hard… but so was Teacher's training, and we endured that!_

" _So, that means you know alchemy, right? Then, let's make some stuff together!" I proposed. Saphira grabbed her right arm, nervous._

" _T-Teacher said I wasn't supposed to use my alchemy in public…" Saphira stuttered._

" _But you're not in public! No one can see us but our Teachers, and your Teacher likes ours! I'm sure she'll be fine if you use it in front of us!" I countered. Saphira thought about it for a moment._

" _Fine… but don't tell anyone I showed you this, okay? Teacher's really protective of me and her alchemy. She said that one time, people tried to steal it." Saphira said._

" _Someone tried to steal it? That's horrible! But don't worry, Al and I won't try to do that!" I assured, handing her a piece of chalk. She took it with a bit of reluctance, but, relenting, drew a circle, before drawing a smaller one inside of it. She then drew a series of diamond shapes in the narrow space. At the cardinal and secondary points, the diamonds were vertical, while the diamonds in between those were horizontal. She then drew an eight-pointed star in the middle, the cardinal points seemingly bigger and overlaying the secondary points, creating a star all its own._

 _"That's an interesting circle!" I commented._

 _"I guess..." Saphira trailed. She activated the circle, causing it to glow with iridescent light. We were even more amazed. We'd never seen a transmutation that produced a color other than blue, let alone more than one! And what she created was even more beautiful-an amethyst in the shape of a rose! Al and I were completely awestruck at what we had just seen._

 _"Amazing! Amazing! You made a gemstone from dirt!" I exclaimed, clapping. She looked down, blushing in embarrassment._

 _"I-It's just alchemy..." She trailed._

 _"Yea, but look how pretty it is!" I began._

 _"Uhhhh... Pretty? Okay..." Saphira said nervously._

 _"Oh yeah! Today's gonna be awesome! We can make even cooler stuff with your help, Saphira!" I exclaimed, grinning wildly._

 _"I-I guess..." She stuttered._

 _"Come on, Saphira! Let's get started!" I said excitedly._

 _"O-Okay..."_

 _We spent the rest of the afternoon together, making all sorts of things and playing with each other. Saphira gradually began to come out of her shell, and the fun we had that day would be the start of our friendship._

* * *

"...And after that, whenever Miss Hawthorne would come to pick up an order, Saphira would play with Al and I. She turned out to be a really smart and kind girl, once you got past her shy nature." Ed finished. Roy shifted, smiling.

"It wasn't just alchemy she was good at. She was really good at fighting too." Alphonse added. Ed groaned.

"Don't remind me. She would always win against us, no matter what we tried! I remember some days we'd come back in and Al and I would be black and blue while she barely had a scratch on her!" He complained. Roy chuckled a bit, watching as the older Elric once again let another memory play in his head.

* * *

" _GAAAH!"_

 _Saphira had beaten Al and I again. Al was trapped against the fence, and she'd just slammed me into the ground. She pointed a diamond spear at my throat-granted, it had a dulled point, but it meant one thing-she'd won, and there was no doubting it. She sighed._

" _I don't get why you guys keep on trying the same tricks! They don't work!" She said in a complaining tone._

" _I-It's not our fault! You're just way too strong for someone your age!" I insisted. She laughed, smiling._

" _You could be right. It's just for fun anyways, right? So who cares?" She asked, relaxing and pulling back her spear._

" _I guess you're right…" I trailed as she got off of me. I let her help me up, and she soon set Alphonse free. We walked back inside, having had enough for one day._

* * *

"So she's quite the fighter. It'll be good to have her on our side, that's for sure." Roy said.

"You're right for once, Colonel Bastard. Heh, maybe you're not so useless after all!" Ed teased. Roy immediately got a tic.

"Shut your mouth, Fullmetal! I am _**not USELESS!**_ " He roared. With this, the usual insult-filled banter began between Flame and Metal, and all Alphonse and Riza could do was sigh and shake their heads.


	6. Chapter 6: Exam

Chapter 6: Exam

Though it had taken a while, Saphira had made a full recovery. She was now back to what Ed and Al knew-sapphire blue eyes full of determination, shoulder-length sapphire blue hair that was straight and beautiful, and a perfectly healthy body that was ready to fight. She'd allowed Roy to torch her old, useless clothes, opting for a new outfit that was quite beautiful.

It was a black dress that cut off just a bit above her breasts, with thin straps. The dress had a thin blue line that bordered the space between the straps and over her chest, coming to a point inbetween her breasts, and split just a bit below her bellybutton, flaring out towards the sides and back in four teardrop-flower-petal-shaped sections. The inside of the dress was a blue-green of sorts (more blue than green) that faded towards a lighter color towards the bottom. A thin black trim bordered the sections.

Underneath the dress, she wore a thin, dark grey, long-sleeved leotard. Over both arms, she wore black sleeves that tapered outwards towards the wrist. She wore dark grey gloves over her hands and wore black boots that come to a point high on her thighs. She had a choker around her neck that was the same color as the majority of the inside of her dress. Around her waist was a black leather belt. She finished it off with a black hood that was attached to the back of her dress, which had two black straps that hung freely. The hood was down for the moment, and the sun was shining brightly in Central.

"So, how do you feel?" Alphonse asked. The Elric brothers were charged with escorting her to the Central building, after Roy had sweet-talked the higher-ups into forgiving her crimes in exchange for taking the exam.

"To be honest, it's a bit nerve-wracking. Outside of Ed, you, Miss Curtis, my own Teacher, the Flame Alchemist, and Lieutenant Hawkeye, no one's ever seen my alchemy, and I'm about to show it off to the military. If I pass, I'll be showing it off to the whole world. It's a strange feeling to be doing this, but I think my Teacher would accept it as a means of enforcing justice." Saphira replied.

"Oh, that's right. You always said that's what you wanted to do with your alchemy. Enforce justice." Al remembered.

"Well, here we are! Let's go!" Ed exclaimed. Saphira nodded, and the gates opened.

She strided into the building, hands in her pockets, relaxed as could be. When she arrived, she saw Roy and Riza off on one side, an array of soldiers…

"Huh?"

An elderly man with a mustache and an eyepatch was beaming at her. She raised an eyebrow.

"So, you're the Fullmetal Alchemist's friend. Saphira Hawthorne, correct?" He asked.

"Yes, sir… But, if I may… To what do I owe the honor of the Fuhrer himself observing my examination?" She questioned. He continued to smile.

"Many things. One is your age-you're quite young, only a year older than the Fullmetal Alchemist, correct?"

She nodded, relaxing back to a neutral expression.

"Two, no offense to any female soldiers here, but you are a young lady. There aren't that many female alchemists that I know of."

Saphira snorted.

"Alchemy is something that requires a rational mind, with a good dose of creativity and intellect. It's not child's play. It's just not suited to everyone-it has nothing to do with gender." She said firmly. The Fuhrer chuckled.

"You're not afraid to hold your ground against anyone else, whoever they may be-something that will be valuable in the field. That's another reason you intrigue me."

"So, personality, age, and the fact I'm a female alchemist, to summarize. Anything else?" She questioned.

"If what Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Hawkeye reported is true, you use a style of alchemy we thought died with its creator. We never had the slightest idea she took on an apprentice… but then again, there was a lot about Justice Hawthorne we don't know."

Saphira glared at the Fuhrer.

"That's because she worked _tirelessly_ to figure out how to make it work, and didn't want someone to steal it! It was her pride and joy… and she entrusted me with it! So, with all due respect, Fuhrer, don't speak of my mentor as if she were some selfish, dark, brooding loner that was _ignored_ because she didn't feel like joining the military!" She snapped. Everyone stared at Saphira.

"Did she just say that?!"

"Not even the Ice Queen would say something like that!"

"Who does she think she is?! If it wasn't for Colonel Mustang, she'd be rotting away in a prison cell-"

"That is enough!"

The room went silent at the elderly man's exclamation.

"I do not view her words as an insult to me. She was simply defending a belief she feels quite strongly about-something I should've realized would insult her. My apologies, Miss Hawthorne, I shouldn't have spoken so carelessly." He said. Saphira huffed.

"Just don't talk about my Teacher so insensitively again and there won't be a problem." She said. Once again, the Fuhrer chuckled.

"Fair enough. Also, on another note, the worst crime she's committed is stealing-petty crimes that would earn her a year in prison at the most. Besides, she was not stealing for fun-she was stealing to survive, so she is not truly a criminal. Therefore, her crimes are easily forgiven."

The room was silent for a moment.

"Now, let the final stage of the examination begin!" He announced.

"Do you have something to draw transmutation circles with?" A soldier asked.

"I don't need to waste my time drawing." She replied, smirking. She cracked her wrists, and iridescent lightning arced down from her shoulders into her palms.

"Again, she does that thing with her wrists… what in the world is she using for transmutation? Sheer willpower?" Roy wondered to himself. She slammed them both into the ground, but instead of just one or two things, like most would expect… she transmuted _seven_ spears, all identical. Each had a off-light-blue diamond tip in the shape of its namesake shape, a sapphire blue handle, a small triangle point at the other end, and a thin silver ring around the top and bottom of the handle. She grabbed two, leaving the other five standing there.

"Now this is most impressive…" The Fuhrer muttered to himself.

"So, who wants to go first?" She taunted, smirking confidently. Ed and Al were smiling, while everyone except the Fuhrer was staring in shock and awe.

"Just who in the world _is_ she?" Roy wondered quietly.

* * *

"Wow, and when I thought the paperwork with you wasn't going to end…"

Saphira sat in Roy's office, his faithful Lieutenant at his side, Alphonse doing only God knows outside (likely involving animal rescue), and Ed sitting opposite Saphira. The young lady chuckled.

"Why don't you just use that Flame Alchemy of yours to torch all of the paper if you hate it so much?" She joked.

"Because the Lieutenant would likely shoot him in his little flame if he tried that." Ed joked in turn. Roy hung his head.

"Don't give her any more ideas…" He muttered, droning.

"Did you say something, Colonel?" Saphira asked.

"No, it's nothing… let's see here… Oh, quite the title the Fuhrer's given you…" He said, mumbling towards the end. That made Saphira raise an eyebrow as she was handed one particular piece of paper. She muttered most of the fancy stuff underneath her breath-

" _And I, Fuhrer King President Bradley, now bestow upon thee the title of 'Gemstone'."_

That made her stop.

"Gemstone?" She wondered.

"That's right-a title given to all State Alchemists by the Fuhrer himself. A second name for us, if you will." Roy explained.

"We didn't get our titles from the public-they were given to us. The Colonel Bastard's the Flame Alchemist, I'm the Fullmetal Alchemist-"

"And I'm now the Gemstone Alchemist." Saphira concluded. She smirked.

"Interesting… A second name that seals my fate… But if it means enforcing justice, I'll take it on for all it's worth!" She vowed.


	7. Chapter 7: New Beginning

Chapter 7: New Beginning

"Honestly, how does he manage to pull it off?" Saphira droned. She was in Roy's office, having heard he'd gone toe-to-toe with a strange criminal, and was severely wounded and had his automail arm blown to hell. Though Alphonse was taking him to the nearest hospital, she was no less concerned and irritated all at the same time.

"It happens sometimes, and because Fullmetal is who he is, sometimes he gets in over his head. But about his attacker..."

Saphira could sense the unease in the Flame Alchemist's voice.

"Is something wrong?" She questioned.

"This is not the first time we've seen him. He targets State Alchemists, which means if he finds out about you, he'll target you." Roy admitted. Saphira tensed, and got up.

"Where are you going, Gemstone? You don't have any orders." Roy asked.

"I have nothing to do here, and I'm not the type of woman who sits around and does nothing. You remember what I said I wanted to do with my alchemy, right?" She asked in turn.

"Enforce justice…" Roy trailed.

"Exactly. And how can I enforce justice by just idly sitting around on my ass, waiting for orders?"

Roy was silent. He had no answer to that.

"Though I went astray for a while, I met people who put me back on the right path. I've sworn to enforce justice, and I've been given power to do so. I won't be stupid and reckless, but I won't turn a blind eye to people who need me. I can handle myself-Ed's never beaten me once when I was healthy, even when his brother was helping him. Don't worry, Colonel." She assured, smirking towards him as she left. Roy snorted.

"She's as stubborn as Fullmetal is, that's for sure." He muttered, smiling and leaning on his hands.

"Do you mean Saphira?"

He turned to see Riza walking in from behind. He then turned away.

"Yeah. She's a good kid." Roy replied.

"I spoke with my grandfather just a little while ago." Riza stated. Roy raised an eyebrow.

"You did?"

Riza nodded.

"There are still some in the military who don't exactly like the idea of a former criminal being amongst our ranks. He's been able to ensure so far that they can't do anything more than use words, and it seems like no one will try anything, but…"

"I understand. Don't worry, Lieutenant. She has Fullmetal, his brother, you, and me within an arm's reach, and if it comes to it, we will play other cards-"

"COLONEL MUSTANG!"

Roy and Riza jumped back a bit at the booming voice and the sound of Roy's office door being thrown open. There, in all of his shirtless, sparkling glory, stood Alex Louis Armstrong.

"I HAVE HEARD OF YOUR RECENT ACT OF TRUE KINDNESS TOWARDS THE YOUNG LADY WHO JUST JOINED THE ARMY! HOW SELFLESS OF YOU TO FIGHT SO HARD FOR SOMEONE YOU BARELY KNEW!" He declared.

"SUCH COMPASSION! SUCH UNDERSTANDING! HOW LOVELY AND INCREDIBLE OF YOU, COLONEL MUSTANG!" He added, rivers of tears that only he was known to shed at such moments flowing forth. Roy and Riza hung their heads.

"W-Well, she was a young girl, and she's Fullmetal's friend-"

"OH?! SHE IS A FRIEND OF EDWARD ELRIC?!"

"Y-yes, but-"

"SO YOU WERE ALSO INSPIRED TO AID THE FRIEND OF A FELLOW SOLDIER IN NEED! COLONEL MUSTANG, I AM MOVED TO TEARS!" Alex proclaimed, crushing Roy to him.

"Y-Yes… but… why.. does… it… matter?!" Roy rasped.

"Major Armstrong, please release the Colonel. You're crushing the air out of his lungs." Riza asked calmly.

"Oh. My apologies."

Roy was dropped to the floor. He panted to catch his breath, Riza helping him into a sitting position.

"Now, what was your question, Colonel Mustang?" Alex asked.

"He asked why you were concerned about Saphira, Major." Riza interjected, before Roy could try to form the words.

"Ah, yes. I was curious when I heard about a young lady becoming a State Alchemist. I simply wanted to know more. I was hoping to speak to her to get to know her better, since I had heard she was a former criminal." Alex explained.

"She just left Central Headquarters. She's probably still in Central, fighting some criminals." Riza said.

"Fighting criminals openly with alchemy?! Even though he is still on the prowl?!" Alex demanded, eyes widening.

"She's better than Fullmetal is in combat. If he goes after her, she's confident she can handle herself. Besides, she says that her whole motivation is 'enforcing justice'." Roy pointed out.

"But, still, she has no idea of who he is! Actively fighting criminals with alchemy as a State Alchemist is practically asking him to come after her!" The muscular man insisted.

"She's as stubborn as Fullmetal is. I doubt I would've been able to talk her out of it even if I tried. Besides, her capturing criminals makes our jobs easier." Roy admitted. Alex sighed.

"I can understand where she is coming from. I will go find her before it is too late." He said, leaving.


	8. Chapter 8: Delivering Justice

Chapter 8: Delivering Justice

A young girl shrieked as a man pointed a gun as her, smirking-

 _SHING!_

A spear went flying between them, knocking the man's gun out of his hand.

"Don't you have anything better do than threaten an innocent girl with a gun? And in broad daylight too…"

Saphira walked towards the scene, arms folded. The man glared at her.

"And just who the hell do you think you are, huh?!" He demanded.

"My name is Saphira Hawthorne." She replied. He snorted.

"Oh, right, you're that blue-haired bitch from the South. What the hell are you doing free? I heard you were captured by the Fullmetal Alchemist and his friends!" He asked.

"Things have changed, bastard. It just so happens that Edward Elric is a childhood friend of mine. He helped set me straight." Saphira replied.

"Is that so? What, did he manage to convince that pretty boy he works for to kiss the asses of the military for you?" He mocked.

"Ed knew I never wanted to be a thief in the first place, you idiot. Colonel Mustang understood, and in exchange for my crimes being forgiven, I became a State Alchemist." Saphira explained. The thug laughed.

"I'm sorry? Did I just hear that right? You're not just a soldier, but a _State Alchemist?_ Really?" He questioned. She whipped out her silver watch to prove her point.

"I am. My title is the Gemstone Alchemist." She said, before putting the watch back away. The man glared at her.

"So that's how it is then, huh? Guess I got no choice-you're gonna have to die-UGH!"

Saphira whipped out the spear on her back, and smacked him upside the head, putting herself between the innocent child and the man. She turned and looked at the girl.

"Go back to your family! Now!" She ordered.

"But I'm lost…" The girl said. Saphira growled.

"Then go and hide! Once I'm finished with him, I'll take you to Central Headquarters!" Saphira ordered. The girl nodded, and sprinted off. The thug growled, and pulled out a knife.

"Fine, have it your way, you blue-haired bitch!" He snarled, coming at her. She easily deflected his attempts to stab her, before kicking him square in the gut, right into the wall. He slumped down, unconscious. She spun her spear around a bit, before putting it back in its place on her back.

"And that settles that." She said, cracking her hands and transmuting binds for the thug. She sighed.

"I should find a soldier to finish the arrest and escort the kid to Central Headquarters-"

She heard footsteps behind her. She turned to see a dark-skinned man with a bizarre mark on his face with silver hair, wearing a trenchcoat and loose clothing. She raised an eyebrow.

"Who are you?" She asked, turning to face him.

"I don't need a name. Call me whatever you want." He replied. She snorted.

"A nameless man approaching me? Interesting. Is there something I can help you with?" She asked.

"You're a State Alchemist, correct?" He asked in turn.

"Yes. My name is Saphira Hawthorne, the Gemstone Alchemist. Why do you ask?"

He immediately cracked his hand and charged at her. She quickly dodged, jumping onto a nearby car. Her eyes widened as she saw the explosion.

 _That man… He intended to kill me…_

The realization hit her.

"You're the State Alchemist killer that Colonel Mustang warned me about!" She exclaimed.

"So the Flame Alchemist warned you about me. Did he tell you why I do this?" He asked.

"No…"

He took off his sunglasses, revealing crimson red eyes.

"Those eyes… Silver hair as well… I see."

He narrowed his eyes at Saphira.

"You're a survivor of the Ishval Civil War. And since you saw the massacre of your people, you've tossed everything else aside-even your own name, all for the sake of bloody vengeance, believing to it be fair justice for what they did to you. But you've lost your mind."

He continued to glare.

"I had nothing to do with the Ishval Civil War. I just so happened to be a State Alchemist. You've become blinded by your hatred. And I can't permit you to run free."

She drew her spear from her back.

"You can't permit me to run free? Is it because of the fact that you're worried for your fellow State Alchemists?" He asked.

"I swore to enforce justice with my alchemy. I've got my own sins that I regret, and I'm working to atone for them as well. So I can't let a murderer run free. It would go against my own personal code, and your savage vendetta endangers my friends." She replied, spinning her spear and pointing it at him.

"Enforce justice, huh… That's the most interesting motive I've heard of for using alchemy. And also the most hypocritical." He said, cracking his hands again.

"You have no place calling me a hypocrite when all you can see is a target when you hear the words 'State Alchemist'! Alchemy can be used to enforce justice-I'll prove it to you!" She insisted.


	9. Chapter 9: Water and Crystal

Chapter 9: Water And Crystal

The two leapt at each other. She came close to meeting his destructive hand, forced to sacrifice her spear. The explosion resulted in her sustaining a few scratches, but nothing she couldn't handle. She cracked her wrists, slamming one into the ground, which resulted in diamond-shaped sapphire missiles being sent towards her enemy, while other touched a wall, creating a new spear. She used the resulting explosion to leap above him and swing downwards, slashing him across the chest. She spun back up, watching as he clutched at his chest, pressing his shirt against his body.

"Give it up! You're bleeding severely-you won't last long!" She pointed out.

"Your 'justice' is strong… but it's not strong enough!" He insisted, cracking his wrists. He came at her again, and she darted around his open hands, once again forced to sacrifice her spear in order to get safely away from him. However, that time, he grabbed a shard of the diamond tip, and threw it into her left abdomen, close to her hips. She cried out as she felt the shard pierce her body.

"Not bad… But a shard in my side won't stop me!" She insisted, creating yet another spear and coming at him.

* * *

The young girl who Saphira had saved was watching as her savior danced with this bizarre man. Her blue eyes were filled with concern. She had been impaled with a shard from her own spear, shattered. She didn't know what was going on, or why this was happening. But she couldn't stand to watch it anymore.

 _Water… I have to find some water… There!_

She heard the water moving through a pipe close to her. She braced against the wall, and peeked around the corner. The man was about to bring his hand down to her savior's face. She brought out her hand, and spun around, a glob of water following her movements.

* * *

Saphira and the man were standing, panting heavily, and bleeding. The man was bleeding from his chest, right leg, and left side, caused by Saphira's slashing with her spear. Saphira was bleeding from her right side where the shard from before was embedded, and he'd managed to cause an explosion that embedded a sharp piece of the road in her left leg.

 _There's no mistaking it. He's been fighting since the war, and there's no doubt that he's had previous combat training. No wonder Colonel Mustang was so concerned about him. He knew that taking on State Alchemists and trying to kill them wouldn't be easy. He's not what I made him out to be. I really don't want to kill an Ishvalan, but at this rate, I'm not sure I'm going to have a choice in the matter._ Saphira thought.

 _She is no ordinary alchemist. She doesn't draw circles, and I've never seen such beautiful colors for a transmutation. She was well trained by whoever taught her. She may be a child, but she has talent. No wonder the military recruited her. It's a shame, but she is an alchemist, one who has strayed from God's path. She claims that she is the one enforcing justice… well, I suppose I shall see whose justice is the true justice!_ He thought.

They both tensed, Saphira readying her spear, and the man readying his hand-

"I won't let you hurt her anymore!"

They both turned to see the young girl that Saphira had saved sending water at the man. It hit with enough force to send him a good distance back, and the girl quickly sent a jet of pressurized water underneath him with a slash of the hand, dropping him into the sewers. Saphira stared, and then looked back at the girl.

"That was some kind of alchemy, no doubt… but what kind of alchemy is that?" She wondered to herself. The girl then sprinted over to Saphira.

"It's okay, he's in the sewers. The strong current will lead him away from here. Let me treat your wounds!" She assured, taking Saphira's hand. She guided Saphira to a wall, and then to the ground. She then carefully took out the shards, before pulling water from a nearby pipe and bathing Saphira's wounds in it. The Gemstone Alchemist watched in shock as her wounds closed.

"You can fight _and_ heal?!" She questioned in disbelief. The young girl nodded.

"Just who in the world _are_ you?!" Saphira questioned, still shocked.

"My name is Azura. I'm from Himalia." Azura replied.

"Himalia? I've never heard of that place."

"Not surprising. We're farther East from here than Xing. My friends and I came here because we sensed incredibly-powerful dark energy from this country, but when we crossed the desert, I got separated from my friends..."

Saphira soon stopped paying attention, and got a good look at the girl. Light blue eyes were focused on her wounds. Silvery, long hair flowed back behind her like a wave. She wore tribal clothing that seemed to draw hints that she lived in a cold climate. Her appearance wasn't too strange… but how could she manipulate water like that?

"...Um, Miss? What's wrong?" Azura asked, snapping Saphira back to attention.

"Nothing. Thanks for healing me." Saphira said.

"You'll still need to see a proper doctor to finish treatment. The wounds were too serious for me to fix completely." Azura said as Saphira stood up.

"That's fine. Thanks." Saphira said, turning and walking away.

"Wait a minute!" Azura yelled. The blue-haired woman turned and looked back.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Umm… What's your name?"

Saphira paused for a moment.

"My name is Saphira. Saphira Hawthorne."


	10. Chapter 10: Onwards, For Justice

Chapter 10: Onwards, For Justice

"That's good news, I'll be able to leave before Colonel Mustang, Ed, and Al find out-"

"GEMSTONE!"

The former thief cringed, hanging her head.

"Well… Fuck." She muttered, seeing Roy, Riza, Ed, and Al all standing there, all angry.

"What the HELL were you _thinking?!_ Taking on Scar without having any idea what he is capable of is beyond reckless!" Roy demanded.

"It's not like I was _planning_ on facing him, Colonel! He just happened to be there after I'd finished saving a young girl's life! I had no intention of seeking him out and taking him on! I'm someone who enforces justice, not someone who's completely _stupid!_ " She snapped.

"And you saw it fit to fight him by yourself, instead of calling for help?!"

"Who the fuck would I call to, Mustang?! There were no other soldiers there, and I didn't want to let him get into Central Headquarters!"

"You shouldn't have fought him!"

"Oh, I was supposed to let him kill me, then?! Like fucking hell _that's_ happening, Mustang! A warrior of justice can't do a damn thing if she's _dead-_ "

"STOP FIGHTING!"

Saphira and Roy turned their heads.

"Azura?! You followed me here?!" Saphira questioned.

"You know her, Gemstone?" Roy questioned.

"Not really. I met her moments before I fought Scar. But she's not as weak as she seems." Saphira replied. Roy raised an eyebrow.

"She can use a type of alchemy that lets her manipulate water as if she were controlling it with a metaphysical ability. She used it to force Scar into the sewers, and give me a preliminary treatment of my wounds." Saphira explained. Roy turned and stared at Azura.

"Umm… Well, Miss Saphira saved my life, so I wanted to repay the favor… To be honest, this country's confusing to me, so I had no real idea why they were fighting…" Azura admitted, scratching her head.

"Country? You're not from Amestris?" Riza asked. Azura shook her head.

"No, I'm from Himalia. I came here with four of my friends, but by the time we crossed the desert, I got separated from all of them!" She explained.

"Oh, so you're looking for your friends." Roy concluded.

"The desert… So she's from the East… But why come all the way to Amestris?" Alphonse wondered.

"Because we all sensed an incredible amount of dark energy from the West, and we're not the kind of people to simply ignore that. My four friends and I prepared ourselves, and we set out to figure out what was going on." Azura explained.

"Dark energy? What do you mean?" Ed questioned.

"In the world, there are incredible forces that oppose each other and keep each other in check. One of these forces is darkness, as is light. One simply cannot exist without the other. However, if one becomes too strong, the world will be thrown out of balance, and there's no telling what consequences would result from something like that, especially with forces as significant as light and dark. So when we sensed darkness overwhelming light in the West, we watched for a bit. When it escalated to dangerous levels and it was obvious that it wasn't going to settle itself-"

"You and your friends were sent to restore the balance." Roy concluded. Azura nodded, confirming her suspicions.

"That sort of thinking is interesting, and we can't deny that your talents saved Gemstone's life. Can I ask you for a favor?" Roy said.

"What is it?" Azura asked. Roy walked over, and knelt down in front of Azura.

"Could I ask you to stay by her side?" He asked. Saphira's mouth dropped.

"Colonel! You have no right to force me to take someone with me wherever I go! What I pursue isn't a game-it's dangerous-"

"And that's exactly why you need her. Two warriors can fight better together than separated. Besides, if you get hurt, she can at the very least buy enough time to get you to a hospital. She's not a burden, she's an asset, Gemstone." Roy insisted, cutting Saphira off. The blue-haired girl took one look at Azura, who had a pleading look in her eyes, and let out an exasperated sigh.

"Fine… But don't expect me to be her mother. I'm an alchemist, not a babysitter." Saphira relented.

* * *

"So, where are we heading now?" Azura asked.

"Major Armstrong wanted to meet me and talk a bit, and we'll see from there." Saphira replied.

"I wonder what he's like…" Azura trailed.

"Who knows, I've never met him-"

"SAPHIRA HAWTHORNE!"

The two young women were taken aback at the sound of the loud voice. They shivered when they saw the massive, shirtless man before them.

"A-Are you Major Armstrong?" Saphira stuttered, a bit shocked.

"Indeed! Major Alex Louis Armstrong, at your service!" He confirmed, offering his hand. Saphira nervously shook it, before quickly taking her hand back.

"Well, now that we have that out of the way… What is it you want to talk to me about?" Saphira asked.

"The Elric brothers are going to be heading up North to Fort Briggs as part of their journey. I thought that, as their childhood friend, you would want to know that." Alex replied, putting subtle hints in his tone.

"Fort Briggs… that's the Fort right on the Drachman border, right?" Saphira questioned. Alex nodded.

"Hmm… Then perhaps I should head up North." She mused. Alex raised an eyebrow.

"My Teacher spent quite a bit of time up North, studying abandoned mines and the mountains in general to help refine her work. Not long after she took me in, she disappeared up North for a few weeks, and then returned. She told me that when I graduated, I was to head up North to receive my graduation rewards."

Alex nodded in understanding.

"If you are going to head up North, then let me give you this."

He presented a simple-looking envelope with a bizarre seal on the back.

"It is a letter of introduction. In all honesty, it may not mean much in the end… but I believe it will help you get into the Fort, at the least." Alex said. Saphira huffed.

"Why? You're only a Major." Saphira pointed out.

"The officer who commands it… the woman who is nicknamed the Northern Wall of Briggs… her name is Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong."


	11. Chapter 11: Ice And Crystal

Chapter 11: Ice And Crystal

"Incredible… All of this snow… There's no mistaking it."

"Huh? Miss Saphira?"

Saphira smiled, and looked towards the sky, watching the snow gently fall.

"This is North City!" She beamed.

"You seem happy." Azura said. Saphira chuckled.

"It never really snowed in Dublith, and when I was on the run, I never had time to truly appreciate any snow I encountered, if any. I've never seen how something this simple can be so beautiful." She explained, letting a few snowflakes fall in her palms.

"Where I come from, it almost always snows in winter, so when I studied waterbending, part of my training included melting and freezing water." Azura said.

"Waterbending? That's what you call you alchemy? What an interesting name." Saphira mused.

"I guess to someone from the West, it would be. But we call it that because we don't simply break down and reconstruct-we manipulate the flow of cosmic energy through the world." Azura explained. Saphira looked towards the sky.

"Cosmic energy, huh... Well, there's time for pondering elements like that later. Come on, we've got a train to catch."

* * *

 _WHOOSH!_

Saphira had her hood up, eyes widened.

"Holy shit!"

She trudged through the mountains, horribly lost, with Azura at her side. A terrible blizzard was raging on, hindering their movements.

"I heard that mountain weather changes quickly, but to go from complete calm to a raging blizzard in a matter of seconds... I pity the Briggs Mountain Patrol!" Saphira exclaimed.

"We can't see at all, and I don't sense any human life near us at all!" Azura added.

"Can you still sense other life?"

Azura nodded.

"Yes, I can."

"Good. Let me know if any bears get close!"

* * *

The two trudged on for a while, mumbling idle things. However, soon, a growl behind them interrupted their thoughts. They turned to see a massive hulking figure.

"A bear... No, a person!" Azura realized. The massive man stood before them. Saphira's eyes widened when she saw him wearing a military uniform.

"That appearance... you're a soldier!" She exclaimed. He snorted, and slashed down with a metallic clawed hand-something Saphira quickly realized was automail. Saphira deftly dodged, but he launched a net at Azura, capturing her.

"Azura!" Saphira cried.

"You're next, brat!" He exclaimed. Saphira scowled at him.

"We'll see about that!" She exclaimed, drawing her spear, spinning it around, and grabbing it, pointing it at him. He slashed at her again, but she blocked it with the tip of her spear. She then used the spear to force his arm down, and used it as a leverage point to grab his metallic arm.

"Damn, that's cold..." She muttered, throwing him into the ground. However, he ripped off her sleeves as he went down, exposing her arms.

"Shit!" She cursed under her breath. He got back up, and smirked.

"Not bad, kid. You did well, considering all you had was a spear. But this is the end of the line for you!" He said loudly. Saphira then heard the clicking of multiple guns around her. Not five seconds, the pair found themselves surrounded. Saphira sweatdropped.

"Damn, that was fast..." She muttered. It was then that suddenly, they realized that a massive black wall had come into view.

"Huh? Where'd the wall come from?" Azura wondered quietly.

"What's all the commotion out here about, Captain Buccaneer?!"

The man suddenly turned to face the direction of the voice, in a typical military position.

"Ah, I'm sorry for all of the racket, Major General Armstrong!"

The two looked up to see a beautiful woman with ice blue eyes, blonde hair, and full lips, wearing a military uniform.

"Armstrong..." Azura muttered.

"Is that... Olivier Mira Armstrong?! Major Armstrong's sister?!" Saphira exclaimed in disbelief.

"Are they really related?" Azura wondered.

"I wonder... she's not a massive ugly giant who's a drama queen... she's actually beautiful, but that glare tells me she's pissed as all hell..." Saphira added.

"Who the hell are you two?" Olivier asked.

"I'm Saphira Hawthorne, the Gemstone Alchemist, and the young girl is Azura. As for why we're here..."

Saphira took the letter Alex gave her, and put it on the end of her spear.

"See for yourself, Major General!" She roared, throwing the spear. Olivier's eyes widened as it cut off part of her hair, embedding itself in the wall behind her. She pulled out the spear, and pulled off the letter.

"Something from Alex... so he sent you up here too..."

Olivier immediately ripped the letter in half. Saphira's mouth dropped.

"You're not going to even bother reading it?!" She demanded in confusion.

"Testimonials don't mean shit to me. I don't need the words of others. I'll judge you with my own eyes!" Olivier replied as she finished tearing up the letter, letting it scatter in the wind.

"Damn, she's a hell of a woman..." Saphira muttered.

"Come in, Gemstone Alchemist." She ordered.

"You're one hell of a woman, anyone ever tell you that?!" Saphira exclaimed.

"Quit gaping like an idiot and start walking! Before I tear your pretty little body apart limb from limb!" Olivier snarled. Saphira glared at the woman, and returned Olivier's scowl to her.


	12. Chapter 12: Secrets Buried In The Earth

Chapter 12: Secrets Buried In The Earth

"So, you're a friend of the Fullmetal Alchemist, but you actually came up here because you believe your mentor left something buried up here for you."

Olivier sat in a chair, in front of Saphira, while Azura was being checked for any injuries. The female Alchemist sat opposite the Ice Queen. She nodded.

"That's the kind of woman my Teacher was. Mysterious, secretive, and reclusive. It's not surprising to me that she'd bury something important this far out. Your men would unintentionally guard it for her until the time was right." Saphira confirmed.

"That's clever. Now, moving on, what's all of that on your arms?" Olivier questioned. Saphira tensed.

"I can't tell you that. Not when others could hear it." Saphira replied, putting subtle hints in her tone. Olivier narrowed her gaze, and sighed.

"You're entitled to your secrets, but if they threaten my castle, then you'll sincerely regret coming here." Olivier said, leaving the room. Saphira glared towards the door.

"What a bitch... interrogating allies as if they were criminals!" She muttered.

* * *

Saphira jolted awake to a commotion outside. She and Azura sprinted out of the room, seeing a mysterious giant heading up on a platform.

"What the hell is that thing?!" She wondered. Azura tensed, and Saphira looked at her, concerned.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"That thing... it's not human... it has a core swarming with dark energy!" Azura replied. Saphira's eyes widened, and she focused on it, watching as it was being driven towards the elevator with tanks.

"You stay here. I'm going down to help!" Saphira ordered. Azura nodded, watching as Saphira leapt down, using steel barrels and crates to make it down safely.

"Let me help with the giant, Major General!" Saphira exclaimed. Olivier narrowed her gaze at the former thief for a moment.

"Get on the tank. You can help us shove it out of the gate." She ordered. Saphira did as told, perching herself behind Olivier.

* * *

"I can't believe we let him get this far…" Olivier muttered.

A tunnel had been uncovered underneath the Fort. After an… exchange between Ed and Saphira, Olivier took Ed, Al, Saphira, Azura, Buccaneer, and Falman down with her into the tunnel. They were all currently mounted on horses, going deeper into the tunnel.

"So this is the first time Briggs has been invaded?" Ed asked.

"Since I came here, yes. However, about 20 years ago, there was a strange incident where the mountain patrol was attacked repeatedly. Apparently, a mysterious woman kept stealing supplies from them for a whole month." Olivier replied. Ed and Alphonse hung their heads, flashing back to when Izumi proclaimed she'd survived in the Briggs wilderness on her own for a month.

"It has to be her…" They muttered to each other. Azura suddenly looked upwards.

"What's wrong, kid?" Buccaneer questioned.

"I feel a familiar presence... it's coming this way!" Azura exclaimed.

"Where'd you go, freak show?! Come on out! Let's finish what we started!"

Out from the darkness, a young girl came blazing out. She was covered in dirt and dust, had wild black hair, and strangely-dull greyish eyes. She wore her own breed of tribal clothing, with earthen colors, but most notably, a lack of shoes.

"Terra, stop! It's me, Azura!"

The young girl skidded to a halt, leaving a noticeable trail in the ground behind her and creating a massive cloud of dust.

"Good to hear from you again, Azura! You sound alive and well... and it seems you've already gone and made friends here!"

"You know her?" Saphira asked. The young girl nodded.

"Her name is Terra. She was one of my friends who came across the desert with me. She's an earthbender, like I'm a waterbender." Azura explained.

"Earthbender? Waterbender? What the hell are you all talking about?" Olivier demanded.

"It's what they call their alchemy where those two come from. Different variations, I guess." Saphira summarized.

"And because they said desert, they're from the East. Alright, that settles it."

The group looked at Olivier, confused.

"Kid, come with us."

Terra sighed.

"Well, I don't normally take orders from bossy ladies like you, but since I just reunited, I'll make an exception." She said, smiling. Olivier blinked. Did she just hear that right?

"Oi, brat. You've got some nerve, telling off the Major General like that." Buccaneer scolded.

"You think I care? Ranks don't exactly mean anything to me. If anything, they're just words on paper and things sewn onto a uniform. I only like and respect my friends, and I decide who my friends are." Terra snapped, folding her arms.

"Brat..."

"We're wasting time with this. She's not under my command, so I can't technically discipline her. Besides, I'm sure there's more to her cheeky attitude than just being a brat. Let's get moving." Olivier cut off. They resumed their ride, heading deeper into the tunnel.

"I guess this is far enough..."

Olivier looked around a bit.

"Get off." She ordered.

* * *

Olivier thunked her sheathed sword on the ground. A small meeting area had been assembled. Falman, Olivier, Edward, Saphira, and Azura were sitting around a center table, while Terra and Buccaneer remained standing, with Terra leaning against the side of the tunnel.

"Now... no one can hear us down here."

Olivier narrowed her gaze at Ed.

"I want you to tell me everything. Both of you."

She turned to look at Saphira.

"I want you to cut the bullshit. Tell me the truth." She ordered harshly. Ed looked down.

"We need your help."


	13. Chapter 13: Circle of Destiny

Chapter 13: Circle Of Destiny

"Philosopher's Stones... King Bradley... A man who is referred to as Father... and the whole upper echelon is guilty..."

Olivier continued tapping her sword.

"A mysterious 'dark energy' that led five young children to cross a desert to deal with it..."

"Now that Ed has described how these Philosopher's Stones are made, it's possible that what we sensed was the accumulated suffering of the poor souls made into them made manifest." Terra proposed.

"That's partially true, but the darkness just feels too big nowadays. There's something more going on." Azura said.

"And you, Hawthorne. You are a special case in and of yourself."

Saphira shifted.

"I heard of the existence of Justice Hawthorne, your mentor, but since I was never interested in alchemy until I learned of Eastern Alchemy's healing properties, I never learned much about her."

The former thief shifted again. Olivier leaned back.

"Of course, since her death spread through the military like wildfire, I heard about it. But I didn't really care. However, the story you tell about the transmutation arrays carved into your arms..."

"I know, it sounds insane. But it's the truth. And it's all the more reason why I have to find the legacy she left behind." Saphira said.

"Once we're done talking in here, you're free to go find it. But you're not leaving until we're finished." Olivier said firmly.

"Fine then. Let's finish up here." Saphira agreed.

"Now then, you three. As alchemists, what do you think this tunnel was being carved out for?" Olivier questioned. Ed and Al got up, and leaned down, gazing deep into opposing sides of the tunnel. Saphira took a rock, and threw it down, listening to the sounds it made upon impact.

"If I had to guess... it was carved out in the shape of a massive circle." Ed told her.

"A circle?" Buccaneer questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"The circle governs the flow of power in alchemy and is a significant factor when attempting a transmutation of any kind." Ed explained, drawing a circle around the map of Amestris.

"Now, what's the formula..." He muttered, tapping his chin.

"Warrant Officer Falman, do you know all of the incidents in this country that resulted in major bloodshed?" Ed questioned.

"Bloodshed? Why would that be-"

He was cut off, seeing that Ed had circled Ishval. He understood, and one by one, circled the points that Falman listed off.

"Now, we connect the dots..."

Everyone's breath hitched.

"How can this be?! It's identical to the one we found in Research Laboratory Five!" Falman exclaimed.

"A circle for making Philosopher's Stones, which uses _human lives..._ Just how many people will die with such a large circle?!" Buccaneer demanded.

"Wait a minute... the oldest incident happened when this country was founded... and the military is involved in every one of these incidents!" Falman added.

"Ever since this nation's founding?!" Ed exclaimed in disbelief.

"Our country started off small, but we annexed the smaller countries around us... And it was all to create this circle?" Olivier questioned, her tone holding no less disbelief than Edward's.

"No wonder my Teacher wanted nothing to do with the military!"

Everyone turned to face Saphira as she slammed her fist into the side of the tunnel.

"She knew that this is what Amestris was really for, and didn't want to be a pawn in whatever endgame requires a Philosopher's Stone made of a whole _fucking country!_ Why didn't I figure it out?!" She snapped.

"You couldn't have known… You never even heard of a Philosopher's Stone before Brother and I brought it up…" Al said.

"But still… I have to find whatever she left up here for me! It's obviously not just a graduation present-it's a means to fight these goddamn Homunculi and stop their plan!" She insisted. Olivier's face twisted into a scowl.

"Our country…" She muttered.

"I don't like this!"

With her sudden outburst, everyone turned to look at her. She suddenly pointed her sheathed blade at the map.

"According to this map… The only place left for massive bloodshed is Briggs! What do those pigs at Central want with _my_ castle?!" She demanded, furious.

"There's someone coming!" Terra said. They all turned to see a soldier riding towards them.

"Major General, sir! Lieutenant General Raven has come to visit from Central. Please return to the Fort at once!" He requested. Olivier stood up.

"Major General, could I ask a favor?" Ed asked. Olivier looked at him.

"Could you try and trick Lieutenant General Raven for us?" He asked.

* * *

"I hope that Major General Armstrong can trick her visitor… Do you think she can do it, Saphira?"

Saphira nodded. They'd left the Fort to head into the mountains to find Justice's legacy, leaving Terra, Ed, Al, and the Briggs soldiers behind. The weather had somewhat settled, making the trek easier. Azura's waterbending also helped, clearing particularly-dangerous sections of snow away.

"I believe she can. She's led that Fort for years - tricking one man should be child's play for her." Saphira assured. Azura continued to look on ahead.

"So, how will you know when you've found what you're looking for?" Azura asked.

"Because it will be marked with this." Saphira replied, pointing to the eight-pointed star that was in the center of the transmutation circle carved into her palm, which was the final part of the array.

"An eight-pointed star?" Azura questioned. Saphira nodded.

"That's right. The whole theory that makes Crystal Alchemy work is that the stars in the heavens and the crystals in the ground are interconnected with each other. By understanding that, the composition of the stars and crystals, and the flow of energy that goes through it all, the possibilities become limitless." She explained.

"That's an interesting theory, and a really complicated one." Azura said.

"There's no denying that. But it works. I can create deadly weapons that still appear beautiful. I can shatter the darkness that constricts the truth. The world is beautiful, whether it's a marble palace or a pile of dirt. There is a secret hidden inside everything, waiting to be revealed."

"That's an interesting philosophy-hey, look!"

Azura pointed towards a cave, and when Saphira looked closer, she saw the eight-pointed star she was all too familiar with. She smirked.

"We've found it! Let's go!" The former thief exclaimed, tearing towards the cave.

* * *

"Damn, she sure left a lot behind..."

Saphira had uncovered a whole shrine of sorts hidden deep within the cave, only accessible via Crystal Alchemy. Azura stood outside, per Saphira's request, watching for any threats.

It was elaborate, made almost entirely out of crystals of varying colors. Runes were carved all over the walls, and statues of various Nordic deities were placed throughout the area. Already, Saphira deciphered the creeds and messages on the walls, but they were simply reinforcements of what she already knew. However, the center altar was a thing in and of itself.

It was made of iridescent crystal. On the right side was what she was sure was a statue of Thor, with his hammer. On the other was what she assumed to be Loki, with a scepter of sorts. In the back was Frigga, arms spread. On the table was a tome, and a sapphire on a pendant.

Saphira first picked up the tome, and opened it, seeing rune upon rune, along with several images. Some appeared to be humanoids, others of symbols, and others of stranger things.

" _The children of sin-they are the ones who seek the darkness, and thus, you must be wary, my faithful student. On the day of darkness, the country you love will suffer, but fear not-another has already worked to ensure the souls of the people will be set free. Take the Crystal of Odin-when the day of darkness arrives, it will prove to aid you in the battle, and I have no doubt it will aid you even before and after. Continue onwards, and enforce justice with the power you are gifted with, my faithful student!_

 _Justice Hawthorne"_

Saphira chuckled.

"Well, Teacher was always a cryptic one…" She mused, before taking the pendant and putting it on. The moment she did, she stumbled forward for a second, feeling a strange wave of pain pass through her body for a moment. She blinked.

"Why do I get the feeling this is no ordinary stone?" Saphira muttered.

* * *

In a garden, at night, a figure was sitting on a bench. The figure sat straighter for a moment, before relaxing.

"Has she found it?"

The figure nodded.

"Just as expected. Sir Hohenheim should be close to finished with his move."

"Then we will have to prepare to make ours. After all, I'm not about to let some hideous runt try to play _God._ "

The figure chuckled.

"Since when does the great Prince Loki care about mere mortals?"

Loki chuckled in turn.

"They're certainly fascinating creatures, especially considering those I've met. If a mortal can win over my oaf of a brother's heart… They're capable of anything. And besides, it's been no fun, cooped up in a cell for all of that time. I'm ready for a bit of entertainment now, Lady Shiva."


	14. Chapter 14: Dancing Warriors For Justice

Chapter 14: Dancing Warriors For Justice

"So, the Briggs soldiers are going to help us stop this Father bastard… Sounds like something Major General Armstrong would do." Saphira muttered. She and Azura had taken a train back towards Central, deciding to help in the effort in their own ways. Terra had already gone on ahead, apparently going with Olivier herself.

"I won't deny, I'm a bit worried for our other friends…" Azura trailed. Saphira chuckled.

"Why? There's no need to."

Azura looked up at Saphira.

"Ed and Al are quite the team, and they can both transmute without a circle. They were taught by Miss Curtis, who is a force in and of herself. Colonel Mustang knows how to use his flames well, Lieutenant Hawkeye's sharpshooting skills are well-known throughout the military, and the soldiers from Briggs spend every day of their lives, ready to take on a whole country. They'll be fine." Saphira assured. Azura smiled.

"Terra's no doubt the greatest earthbender anyone's ever seen, and I've been training to waterbend since I was young. Plus, if what you said is true, you've been training since you were little. We're not gonna let them have all of the fun!" She added. Saphira chuckled, and ruffled her companion's hair.

"That's right-"

" **I'm afraid this is the end of the line for you two."**

The two turned sharply to see a young boy with purple eyes and black hair, wearing casual clothing. He had bizarre shadows around him, with creepy eyes and mouths laid in them. Saphira focused on him.

"What's with that boy? That's not an ordinary shadow, that's for sure…" Saphira wondered.

"I can sense a Philosopher's Stone in him! It's one of those Homunculi guys!" Azura exclaimed. Saphira tensed.

"A Homunculus, huh? Then I guess there's no need for talk-I highly doubt he has any intention of just letting us walk by." Saphira mused, pulling her spear from her back. The boy chuckled.

" **You're quite intelligent for a human. That's right-I have no intention of letting you escape me alive. My name is Pride, the First Homunculus. Prepare to die, lowly humans!"** Pride exclaimed, sending shadows their way. Saphira blocked the ones sent at her easily, but Azura was having a harder time, not having easy access to water. The Easterner gasped as a shadow was about to impale her-

 _ **WHOOSH!**_

In an instant, a powerful gust of wind blew back all of the shadows. Pride scowled, and Saphira stared.

" **What was that?! What kind of wind could come out of nowhere like that and be strong enough to deflect my shadows?!"**

"It's not just any wind-it's airbending!"

The trio turned to see a young girl with ice blue eyes and cool grey hair standing on a lamppost. She was wearing lightweight clothing. Azura's eyes widened in joy.

"Kaze!"

The young one smiled.

"It's been a long time, Azura!" Kaze exclaimed, leaping from her perch. The waterbender beamed at her friend-

"Watch out! He's coming!"

Lightning arced across the arms of the young wind master, and she sent an even more powerful burst of compressed air at Pride, blowing his shadows back and actually forcing him back.

" **Damn you!"** Pride cursed, sending more shadows at the three.

Kaze's movements were closer to dancing, as she cleverly dodged the Homunculus' attacks, replying with burst of compressed air that forced him to often shield himself. Saphira took advantage of this, and broke open the road for Azura. The waterbender took advantage of this, and began sending the tainted sewer water at Pride.

" **This fight is pointless-Father needs me elsewhere!"** Pride snapped, slashing down several concrete pillars. Azura sent several bursts of compressed water at them, destroying them, but when the dust faded, Pride was gone.

"Damn him, using such cheap tricks!" Saphira cursed.

"That's certainly true, but there's still other things we can do!" Azura pointed out.

"There's not much time before the eclipse. We'll have to split up and see what we can do to stop all of this." Saphira said.

"I'll go through the sewers-there's a lot of water there, so I can be the most effective." Azura said, leaping down into the sewers.

"I'll go for the rooftops-I can see better, and my airbending will let me move quickly." Kaze said, dancing around and creating a tornado that propelled herself up into the air. Saphira sighed.

"Terra has the upper part of Central… I guess I should head underground. See what I can find." She mused, sprinting towards Headquarters.

* * *

"Finally… I got you."

Olivier let out a pained grunt, feeling the pair of giant hands crush her to a pillar.

"Kill the female general. What a pain."

It gripped tighter, and she writhed, trying to get out-

 _ **WHAM!**_

In an instant, Olivier suddenly felt the pressure around her body fade, and saw the monster go flying into the wall behind her. She looked up-

"Yo, bossy lady from up North! Looks like you need a hand!"

Olivier snorted upon seeing Terra, who was smirking.

"And you need some respect!" She fired back. Terra laughed, offering a hand to Olivier. The Ice Queen took it, and let Terra pull her up.

"So, what's with the big sack of weight, huh?" The earthbender questioned.

"It's a Homunculus. It was sent to kill me, after it finished digging the underground tunnel for the circle." Olivier explained.

"One of those Homunculus freaks, huh? He doesn't seem to be anything more than a gigantic sack of dead weight-"

 _ **WHOOSH!**_

Terra locked both Olivier and her own feet in place with earthbending just as she felt a wind go past. They stared.

"Did you see that?"

Terra scowled.

"I felt it alright. That thing moves fast for being a big fat blob!" She replied. Olivier raised an eyebrow, but let it go, focusing on the battle.

"I think… I think it moves so fast it can't control its direction." Olivier said. Terra nodded.

"There's no way it could, moving that fast with that much weight. It's constantly gonna get its head stuck in walls and ram itself into things... what kind of idiot makes this? It's just stupid!" Terra wondered.

"Hell if I know. All that matters is that it's an enemy, and we need to get rid of it." Olivier said. Terra smirked.

"Alright then! One thorough asskicking, coming up!" She exclaimed.


	15. Chapter 15: Elements Of The World

Chapter 15: Elements Of The World

"What a pain…. Nnggh!"

Sloth came charging again, but, with a powerful kick that was accompanied by blue lightning, Terra made a pit in the floor, tripping him. She then kicked again, impaling him on a razor-sharp spike. She spun around, and punched towards the sky. The earth followed her movements, sending Sloth into the air.

"Coming your way, bossy lady!" Terra yelled.

"On it!"

Olivier readied herself, and when Sloth was close enough, she cut straight through his torso, leaving him in two. His lower half disintegrated into black dust, but he regenerated a new one. Olivier danced around him, jumping and slashing anywhere and everywhere, before spin-kicking the giant back towards Terra.

"Finish it, brat!"

"It'd be my pleasure!"

Terra kicked the ground, pulling in, before shooting her hands upwards. A giant spike shot from the ground, impaling Sloth. He reached towards it, but soon began disintegrating.

"Am I… dying?" He mumbled. Terra grinned, and Olivier let a soft, rare smile grace her face. She looked towards Terra.

"Not bad, for a brat."

Terra flashed a cocky grin at her.

"Not bad, for a bossy lady!"

By the time they'd finished their pleasantries, Sloth had finished disintegrating. Terra suddenly tensed.

"What's wrong?" Olivier questioned.

"Something big is beginning… There's a safe zone-follow me!" Terra exclaimed. Olivier followed right behind her.

* * *

He had not been expecting this. The Fuhrer himself, still alive and kicking, and possessing incredible strength and speed. Even with the assistance of the Eastern prince boy and his bodyguard, Buccaneer had to mentally admit it-he was getting his ass handed to him. Of course, it didn't help that he was only a human man and the Fuhrer turned out to be a goddamn Homunculus-

"Captain, watch out!"

He barely had time to look up before seeing the Fuhrer right above him, preparing to impale him-

 _ **BANG!**_

He stared as a barrage of arrows, followed promptly by a large ball of fire drove the Fuhrer back. Two young girls landed in front of him, one clad in red, tribal clothing, the other garbed like a wild huntress, wielding a bow and having a quiver full of arrows on her back. The red-clad one slashed her hand and spun in a circle, creating a high barrier of fire around them to protect them.

"A Himalian firebender and huntress?"

"That's right. My name is Diana, and my friend is Ignis." The huntress confirmed, motioning towards her friend.

"That water chick, the one who was travelling with the Gemstone Alchemist, she mentioned she came over with a group of friends… You wouldn't happen to know anyone named Terra or Azura, would ya?" Buccaneer questioned, folding his arms.

"We do-Terra's an earthbender, and Azura's a waterbender. The fact you know them means that they're alive and well… So the only one who remains is Kaze…" Ignis trailed.

"Kaze?"

"Our group's resident airbender. Someone who could wield each element, along with a guardian, was sent across the desert to deal with the dark energy we sensed." Diana summarized. Buccaneer opened his mouth, but the sound of rushing footsteps forced him to grab a sword in his automail.

"We'll have to talk later! Kick ass now!" He ordered.

"You're all severely wounded! Diana and I will finish this!" Ignis assured, sending a burst of fire at Bradley. He was forced to abandon one of his swords in the Briggs Bear's automail, the latter taking advantage of this to break the sword and kick it far away.

Diana leapt backwards, stringing up arrow after arrow, relentlessly piercing the Fuhrer's hide. Soon enough, she loosed another arrow, but this one exploded in the Homunculus' face, blinding him for a split second. Another arrow soon pierced his heart, and he began coughing.

"You quickly realized that the smoke arrow wouldn't work against me, so you shoot a highly-potent poison arrow into my heart."

The fight stopped for a moment.

"You're quite intelligent for a young girl. I underestimated you, and it looks like I'm going to pay the price. Even with all of my healing abilities, eventually, the Philosopher's Stone inside of me will run out. It's no longer a matter of fighting to stay alive-I'm going to die, one way or another."

Diana scowled at him.

"Now, the question becomes…. will I be going to Hell alone? Or will I be able to take you with me?"

She drew another arrow, and loosed it-

"Ignis, now!"

The firebender spun around, sending a massive burst of fire at the man.

"Those are some powerful flames you command, young lady. I see I underestimated you as well-what?!"

In an instant, a massive explosion filled the area-

"I see… You two… really are quite clever."

The sound of metal panging could be heard as Bradley's other sword fell to the ground. The man began staggering forward.

"Combining poison… with a volatile explosive… then you ignite it at close range…"

One could see his body had been decimated. He was slowly starting to disintegrate.

"I was a fool… To underestimate you…"

He fell on his knees, before falling to the side.

"But you would be a fool… to think… that winning against me…. will win… this war…"

He closed his eyes, resigned to his fate.

"The true battle… is only beginning…"

* * *

"Terra! Azura! Kaze!"

"Ignis! Diana!"

The five Himalians immediately went in for a group hug upon reuniting in Central Headquarters. Azura then immediately got to work, treating the wounded soldiers, while Saphira, Diana, and the other benders worked on dealing with the lesser Homunculi.

"Captain Buccaneer, you look like you've seen better days." Saphira joked as she swept a lesser Homunculi into the wall.

"You're not looking all that much better yourself, brat." He snapped back. She chuckled.

"The Homunculi are beyond incredible… And I've got a bad feeling that they're about to play their final hand!"

"Look, out there!"

Just as Saphira finished speaking, the sky turned pitch black. The earth began to tremble beneath them. Everyone (save Terra, who was blind) watched in horror as the souls of everyone outside were ripped from their bodies.

"Oh my God… All of those people…" Kaze muttered.

"Look! In the sky! It's some kind of portal thing!"

They watched as a massive gate appeared in the sky, and a bizarre, one-eyed black giant reached up and pulled something out of it.

"Sweet dragon's blood… what is that?!" Ignis wondered breathlessly. Saphira tensed.

"I don't care what Ed said… We have to head downstairs and figure out what's going on!" She vowed.

"I've saved everyone I could. If they stay put, they'll be fine." Azura assured. The others nodded, and the benders, along with Saphira and Diana, all tore downstairs to see what was going on.

As they tore down the path, suddenly, Saphira's pendant began to shine brightly, and a blinding light filled the area.

"So, it really came to this… Damn the Norns, I was hoping that he could stop them in time…"

Saphira gasped. Not only were they suddenly outside in the Central courtyard, but before them stood a beautiful woman with shoulder-length, ebony black hair. She was wearing a blue strapless dress, with the chest area being solid blue, and the center front white that faded to a very light, sky blue. A sky blue sash wrapped around her waist, tying in the front, with a long ribbon going down the front of her body. A collared cape that was light blue at the top, before fading to an aqua blue that revealed her shoulders, wrapping around to itself up front graced her back. Long gloves that were patterned similarly graced her hands and arms, and similar boots graced her legs. She held a dark blue tome in her hand. Saphira's eyes glistened.

"It can't be… T-Teacher?!"


End file.
